Bottom opening bin



June 3, 1958 A. L. STOPPS BOTTOM OPENING BIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov.- 7, 1955 Inventor ALFRED LESLIE STOPPS By: mi 9% i Att'y? June 3, 1958 A. L. sToPPs 2,337,369

BOTTOM OPENING BIN Filed Nov. 7, 1955 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor ALFRED LESLIE STOPPS By: MM 9% Attys BOTTGM ()PENING BIN Alfred Leslie Stopps, West Fiamboro, Qntario, (Canada Application November 7, 1955, Serial N o. 545,387

7 Claims. (Cl. 294--69) This invention relates to a bin having a drop-out bottom and to stacking accessories therefor.

It is an object of this invention to provide a drop-out bottombin with an upper suspension means whereby the bin may be transported with the bottom closed.

It isxan object of this invention to provide a bin which may be stacked along with other bins of the same type and which may be supported on the next bin therebelow inalternate relationships, one of which relationships will maintain the upper bin closed and the other of which will allow it to open allowing release of the material into the bin or bins below.

It is an ancillary object of this invention to provide such. a stacking means whereby the difference between having an upper opened and an upper closed bin is obtained by the relative orientations betwen the upper and lower bins.

It is a further ancillary object of the invention to provide blow-back protection means for avoiding dangerous' compression of the gases or atmosphere in the lower bin due to compression when a bin is set on the top thereof and material released from the upper to the lower bin.

In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:

Fig; 1 is a broken-away perspective of the bin includingthe drop-out bottom.

Fig. 2 illustrates the relationship between the lower extremity of the bin walls and the bottom thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section along the line 3-.3 of Fig. 1 illustrating two bins stacked so that the upper bin is maintained closed; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section along the line 4- of Fig. 1 illustrating two bins stacked so that the upper bin is allowed to open.

in the drawings a bin iii which may be either cylindrical or rectangular in plan view is defined by a unitary side wall structure composed of side walls 12 which slope inwardly toward the top of the bin for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The upper edge of the bin walls 12' is defined by peripheral angle iron strips 14 extending outwardly and downwardly relative to the top edge of the bin. The angle iron forms a peripheral support for the top structure of the bin. The horizontal flange of the angle iron 14 is also adapted to form a supporting means, in lateral direction to its plane, of the Wall structure of a similar bin resting thereon. The lower edge of the bin walls 12 is defined by an angle iron 16 extending inwardly from the bin wall edge and downwardly from the inner edge of the horizontal portion of the angle. The horizontal flange of the angle iron forms a support means for the wall structure to which it is attached. The vertical portion of the upper angle iron. is terminates at itslowerexteusion. at the centre of each side of the bin. in inwardly anddownwardly sloping guides; 18 of a few inches in width and of a vertical cross-sectional slopeasshown- Two of the opposed. side Walls 12A and 12B are provided with a pair of down- 2,837,369' Patented June 3, 1958 wardly extending hangers 13, one hanger being adjacent each end of the respective wall.

Two rigid strip members 20 project horizontally from and perpendicular to side wall 12A and two more from and perpendicular to side wall 12B. These strips act as support members for a bin to be superimposed thereabove and cooperate with support members on said bin. it is advisable to assist such cooperation that the distance between each strip and the nearest parallel wall 12 be the same for all four strips. There is also herein shown a preferred construction wherein diagonally opposed strip members 20 which act as support members are contiguously extended diagonally to join and that the intersection of such contiguous extensions is provided with a vertically apertured guide ring 22 which also acts as a support member.

A pyramid shaped drop-out bottom 24 is provided with sloping sides 26 each adapted to contact one of the downwardly extending edges of the peripheral lower angle irons 16, the sloping sides being reinforced by diverging angle irons 31 at the edge of the pyramid. To further increase the sufficiency of the seal, the structural pyramid of the bottom is provided with a ledge 29 achieved by providing edge angle irons 16 which define the edges of the pyramid and also the average slope of the pyramid walls. The sheeting 26 which surfaces the pyramid diverges upwardly from the angle iron in the portion away from the apex. The extent of this divergence controls the extent of the ledge 29 since here the sheeting 26 slopes downwardly to meet the angle irons 31. A shirt 35 extendsfrom the ledge 29 to the pyramid base. The shallow angle formed on the upper surface between ledge 29 and skirt 35 forms a sealing corner in which the lower edge of the peripheral angle iron 28 may rest. For tight sealing of the bin a padded surface 37 is provided in the sealing corner on which the lower surface of the peripheral angle iron may rest. Peripheral angle iron strips 28 with their flanges extending inwardly and downwardly from the lower edge of the pyramid define the lower extremity of the bottom and act as support members therefor; On opposed strips of such angle irons 28A, 28B are each cut two notches 39 spaced and located to receive horizontally extending strips 20 located adjacent the top of a similar bin and forming support means for the bin bottom. It will be noted that no notches are provided in the other opposed angle iron strips 28. Thus surfaces 238 at the bottom of strips 28 are adapted in one position to support the bottom, and surfaces 395 at the upper extremity of groove 39 are adapted in another position to support the bottom while in each case resting on the upper surfaces of support strips 208 the combination of surfaces 288 and MS placing the upper bin at an upper height relative to the lower and the combination of surfaces 395 and 20S placing the upper bin at a lower height relative to the lower. Extending upwardly from the apex of the pyramid is a vertical hollow rod or tube 32 which projects through the supporting ring 22 and terminates in the handle 34 of such dimensions that it will not pass through the supporting ring. In fact, in the absence of other support the handle 34 resting on the supporting ring is adapted to support the rod 32 and the drop-out bottom 24 in a position which allows the egress of material from the bin. 7

Tube 32 is open at its upper extremity to the atmosphere and at its lower extremity to the space below the pyramidal bottom. There is thus provided a release passageway connecting the lower of two stacked bins to the atmosphere, or in the case of three or more stacked bins the passageways in tubes 32 in the bins above the lowest connect the lowest. with atmosphere at the top ofv the uppermost. bins. Suchv passageways reduce the danger of blow-back or back-splash when materials are allowed to fall from a higher to a lower bin and also provide ventilation for lower bins containing volatile constituents.

The sloping sidewalls 12 of the bin must taper inwardly to such an extent that the horizontal extent of upper angle iron 14 on a lower bin will contact the horizontal extent of lower angle iron 16 on an upper bin for support thereof. Thus, bins constructed in accord with the invention may be stacked in nesting relationship with the support transferred from the upper angle iron 14 of the lower bin to the lower angle iron 16 of the upper bin. Such support transfer only occurs, however, when strips 20 of a lower bin are seated in notches 39 of angle iron 28A. In such an orientation the vertical overlap between angle iron 28A and strip 20 is more than suiiicient to allow the surfaces on angle irons 14 and 16 to contact whereby the drop-out bottom 24 separates from the angle iron 16 a predetermined amount (less than the said overlap) allowing the material in the upper bin to fall down into the: lower.

In order to achieve stacking without dumping the upper bin into the lower, the upper bin should be rotated 90 about a vertical axis relative to the lower. In this orientation the notches 39 do not cooperate with strips 2-9 so that the lower surfaces of angle iron 28 rest on the upper edges of angle strip 20, which edges then act as an alternate support means for the drop-out bottom. The drop-out bottom 24 is, therefore, raised by the amount of the overlap which is more than enough to bring the drop-out bottom strip 37 into contact with the flange 16, thus maintaining the upper 'bin closed, and to lift the horizontal flange on angle iron 16 of the upper bin clear of the horizontal flange on angle iron 14 on the lower bin. Thus the upper bin may be stacked on the lower bin in closed position with the weight of the upper bin itself, keeping it closed.

it should be obvious that the lower bin may be replaced by any other container provided with supporting means corresponding to the upper wall angle irons and to the metal strip and that the same closed or opened position for a bin superimposed thereon may be achieved.

it should also be noted that the bin may be conveniently transported by the upwardly extending handle 34 and that in such an arrangement the dropout bottom bears upwardly on the side wall members to seal the bin. Thus, the bin is closed when transported in this way.

In operation, therefore, a bin filled with fluid or with a fluid-like solid, such as sand or chemical, may be transported by the upwardly extending handle and dropped in a stacking position on top of a second or third similar bin. In one orientation, the bin will be supported on the lower bin by the drop-out bottom and the upper bin will remain closed and retain its material. in the other orientation, the bin will be supported on the lower bin by the cooperation of angle irons 16 and 14 and since strip 29 is resting on notches 39, the drop-out bottom is open to release the material from the upper bin into the lower bin as described above. Similarly a container other than a bin may be provided with support members for the side wallcorresponding to the angle iron 14- and the carried bin may be supported by these members. The bin may be brought into position while suspended by the handle 34 so that the bin is closed. When angle iron 16 of the carried member comes to rest on the support members, the suspension force is released from the handle 'and the handle 34 drops to its lowest position with the handle 34 itself resting on the supporting ring 22 whereby the drop-out bottom opens to allow release of the material.

it is thus seen that a drop-out bin is provided in which the bin may be carried in closed position and may be set down either in closed or open position.

What I claim as my invention is:

t. A bin comprising: a unitary side wall structure; a

drop-out bottom movable with respect to said side wall structure, but adapted to support said structure;- said side walls and said bottom defining a vertical axis, a support member for and attached to said bottom, a support member for and attached to said Wall structure adjacent the upper surface thereof and adapted to support a similar bin by its said bottom support member, such support members being provided with two combinations of a support surface on said bottom member and a support surface on said wall structure adapted to support such upper bin bottom at a lower and an upper height above such lower bin depending on the relative orientation about a vertical axis of said bins and means on said wall structure for independently supporting the Wall of a bin located thereabove when such bottom is supported in the lower position.

2. A bin as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are provided means mounted on said side wall adapted to limit the downward movement of said drop-out bottom in either position.

3. A bin comprising: a unitary side Wall structure; a drop-out bottom movable with respect to said side wall structure, but adapted to support said structure; said side walls and said bottom defining a vertical axis, suspension means for said drop-out bottom projecting above said structure; and means mounted on said side wall structure limiting downward movement of said bottom relative to said structure; a support member for and attached to said bottom, a support member for and attached to said wall structure adjacent the upper surface thereof and adapted to support a similar bin by its said bottom support member, such support members being provided with two combinations of a support surface on said bottom member and a support surface on said wall structure adapted to support such upper bin bottom at a lower and an upper height above such lower bin depending on the relative orientation about a vertical axis of said bins and means on said wall structure for independently supporting the wall of a bin located thereabove when such bottom is supported in the lower position.

4. A bin comprising: a unitary side wall structure; a drop-out bottom movable with respect to said side wall structure, but adapted to support said structure; means mounted on said side wall structure and projecting thereabove for suspending said drop-out bottom; and means mounted on said side wall limiting downward movement of said bottom relative to said structure; said suspension means defining a passageway open at its upper extremity and open at its lower extremity into the space below said drop-out bottom whereby gas tending to become compressed below said bottom may be released at the said upper extremity.

5. An open-topped bin defined by side and bottom walls adapted to firmly support a similar bin placed thereabove and nesting thereon and adapted to be supported by a similar bin on which it is placed, the bottom of said bin being adapted to close the top opening of a similar bin on which it rests, said bin being provided with a gas venting means for release of compressed gas in a similar bin located therebelow, said gas venting means comprising a tubular member extending from said bottom wall to a height above the upper extremity of said side walls, said tubular member being open at its upper extremity and open at its lower extremity to the underside of said bottom wall whereby said tubular member defines an open-ended passage extending from the lower side of said bottom wall to a height above the upper extremity of said side walls.

6. An open-topped bin as claimed in claim 5 wherein said bottom wall is adapted to support said side walls in its uppermost position, said tubular member is constructed of sufiicient strength to support said bin including said bottom and said tubular member is provided with connection means at its upper extremity.

7. A bin comprising: a unitary side wall structure; a drop-out bottom movable with respect to said side wall ass'aaea structure, but adapted to support said structure; suspen- I sion means for said drop-out bottom projecting above said structure; and means'mounted on said side wall structure limiting downward movement of said bottom relative to said structure; said suspension means projecting upwardly from said bottom through said structure and said bottom being upwardly recessed to receive the pr0- jection of said suspension means on a similar bin when said bin is stacked on a similar bin; said suspension means defining a passageway upon at its upper extremity and at its lower extremity opening into said upward recess whereby gas tending to become compressed below said bottom may be released at the said upper extremity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,645,259 Smith Oct. 11, 1927 2,772,911 Dempster Dec. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 437,922 Germany Dec. 1, 1926 

